Engagement Gearing
Helen Strong
Engagement Cogs: Purpose
In concert with changing communication channels, consumer engagement has emerged as one of the key marketing innovations for the early twenty-first century. Marketers recognize that affiliation to and greater learning about a brand take place through experiential contact. Consumers are invited to use the Internet and mobile media to take part in promotions, contribute to product design, or at a less trivial level to browse and order products, complete bookings, financial transactions, and purchases.
This model demands that attention be given to the synchronization of communication and promotion tools. The model is used when the marketer needs to evaluate the response that is generated by individual components of the communication mix, and then to assess the leverage or additional response that occurs when promotions and media are used in conjunction with one another.
Engagement Cogs: Structure and Description
The movement to personal interaction started with personal marketing using customer relationship management (CRM) software. With the exponential growth of mobile phone use and technology, opportunities to form relationships with consumers are also expanding. Tomi T. Ahonen (2013) provides a myriad of examples showing how mobile technology in particular is changing the face of consumer interaction with retailers, health providers, car manufacturers, airlines, and even governments.
As a result of these trends, use of social media has become a focus for marketing managers on a global scale. Whilst there are many success stories,1 authors like Olenski (2012) point out that the definition of engagement is a contentious issue. He points to the results of a survey conducted by Forbes, which illustrate the widely differing viewpoints of consumers and the marketing fraternity.
This new model, engagement cogs, illustrates the magnification effect of various channels of communication working toward involvement of the target market in the brand. Each cog represents another medium or source of information and motivation, where they work in concert to build up momentum for the awareness and affiliation to the brand. The practical thought behind cogs is that they are used to reduce the effort when driving a machine.
Traditional media should not be neglected in the development of a communication and engagement strategy. There are some target markets where consumers do not access the Internet, let alone use social media to interact with their thousands of friends. For the socially aware, social media platforms include: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, RSS, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, MySpace, Flixster, Hi5, and many more.
The gearing concept is that more than one touch-point is required to start a community movement rolling. It requires a main social medium but additional media act together to drive the target market to the brand and its promotional events. Postevent communication from time to time then maintains the community.
The following model uses examples of media. The researcher will need to identify relevant options for the particular industry in which the investigation is taking place. Note that the product features, and its brand elements and image are included as part of the communication platform. Within this model, these factors are believed to contribute to the consumers’ experience of the product (Figure 10.1).
Engagement Cogs: Strategic Considerations
The model recognizes that all the elements of the communication mix act in unison to stimulate engagement and generate loyal customers. It helps
1 R retailer The North Face available at: http://socialmediatoday.com/cara-tarbaj/1344686/north-face-5-social-media-marketing-tips; http://socialmediastrategiessummit.com/blog/top-10-companies-with-successful-social-media-marketing-campaigns-on-facebook/
Figure 10.1 Engagement cogs
to focus attention on finding the combination of communication media that will generate optimal engagement by the target market with the brand. The concept applies equally to business and consumer markets.
Engagement Cogs: Implementation
As with most of the management models, the researcher needs to understand the target marketG, the role that the product plays in their lives, and importantly where the majority gain information about the product or brand.
Armed with this insight, the researcher needs to set up the system that will carefully track which individual medium and combination of media generate quality leads and engagement. How do the individual media work? Where and when do they act together? It is possible that researchers will need to set up experimental research based on the advertising and promotions undertaken by the marketers.
Every single enquiry or purchase from a company needs to be traced back to an advertising or promotional source. For household goods, this can be achieved via consumer research and, perhaps, analysis of retail till slips. In the business-to-business environment, when a potential customer makes an enquiry to a company, one of the first questions that need to be on the list when taking his or her details is “How did you hear about the product or special offer or the company and so forth?”
There are a number of ways that the marketing tactics can influence how well the media attract and draw in the engagement of the target market and other stakeholders. For example, Volvo Director of Digital Marketing John Johnston, (Johnston 2012) discusses how the manufacturer has involved their dealers. In the context of Internet or digital marketing, he points to a number of factors that require the researcher’s attention.
Following his advice and building on the information you have gathered about the product information process, you need to:
- Institute search engine optimization (SEO) to ensure that the key-words, page titles, and links that are read by the various search engines will drive searches (enquiries) to your website. Keeping content updated and fresh will also enhance the reputation of the site, lifting it in the page rankings.
- Website analytics are an important factor in understanding the consumer’s interaction with the site, and in seeing what works. Graphics, layout, headings, and click-throughs all play a part in keeping people on a page and directing them to the space that says “contact me” or “download information.”
- Build interest in the page by providing new and interesting items—videos and content that are relevant to the product.
- Ensure the web page and application formats will be suitable for mobile phones and tablets.
- Whether it is in advertising or web pages, humor works. But be careful that you understand the sensibilities and sense of humor of the target market. Distasteful jokes, while they may cause a stir, in the long run may drive the market away.
Hopefully, the researcher will have an integrated system that allows the full picture of a client or potential client to be presented in one place. The database will look at demographics, subjects of interest, prior purchases, credit history, how the consumer was first captured (source), and importantly how active they are in interacting with the brand or product.
Before setting up complex social media systems, the brand or company needs to understand where they will find their target market. Which media are being used? As Johnson says, “Find where conversations are working.”
These days it is important to obtain a positive opt-in from the consumer to allow you to engage and solicit business from the active market. Action is needed to move incoming leads to become sales. Here automated CRM plays an important role.
Engagement Cogs: Conclusions
In the final analysis, the researcher is looking for the keys to creating a community online. What appeals to the target market? What keeps them interacting with the brand? And in today’s fast-moving world, you cannot assume that the pattern of interaction of the media is fixed. As trends change, you will find that there is an ebb and flow as to which is the most effective media. Yes, you need to cross-promote your activity on social sites and other media, but regular monitoring is required to keep in touch meaningfully with the target market.
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